J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Overall Satisfaction with Rental Cars Increases for a Second Year, Nearing 2006 Levels

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Customer satisfaction with rental cars has increased for a second consecutive year, returning to nearly 2006 levels, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a)

Now in its 16th year, the study measures overall customer satisfaction with renting cars at airports by examining six factors (listed in order of importance): costs and fees; pick-up process; return process; rental car; shuttle bus/van; and reservation process.

Overall satisfaction in 2011 averages 758 on a 1,000-point scale, up from 750 in 2010, driven by increases in satisfaction across all six factors compared to 2010.

"Rental car companies continue to build upon the improvements made in 2010 and are bouncing back from the lower satisfaction levels reported in 2008 and 2009," said Stuart Greif, vice president of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "As positive as this increase in satisfaction is, there remains ample opportunity for rental car companies to further delight their customers in the future, particularly in leveraging technology."

According to Greif, there are opportunities for rental car companies to enhance the rental car experience, save customers time, better inform and set customer expectations and create efficiencies for rental car company operations.  These include integrating customers' mobile devices within rental cars for hands free communication, music or navigation; digitally measuring gas tank levels for more accurate charges; communicating mileage and gas information digitally from the vehicle as customers return cars; and providing real-time estimates of shuttle van or bus arrival times to customers.

The study finds that the average wait time to pick up a rental car is 17 minutes, which improves from 20.5 minutes in 2010. However, in one key area, the pick-up process, satisfaction drops considerably among customers who have to wait more than five minutes to receive their vehicle (An overall satisfaction score of 825 among customers who wait one to five minutes vs. 809 among customers who wait six to 10 minutes).

"The culture of immediacy creates expectations around timeliness of service that can be challenging to meet," said Jessica McGregor, manager of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "While the improvement in wait time is certainly positive for the industry, rental car companies must continue to balance the need to serve their customers more quickly with the need to provide improved levels of service by their employees."

ACE Rent A Car ranks highest in customer satisfaction among rental car companies for the first time with a score of 793, performing particularly well in the shuttle bus/van and costs and fees factors. This is also the first time the Indiana-based independent rental car company appears in the study rankings.

Enterprise follows in the rankings with 787, performing particularly well in the leisure/personal customer segment. National ranks third with 768.

The following tips may be helpful to consumers when renting a car:

• If a kiosk is available, use it instead of waiting in line at the counter. While very few customers currently use kiosks, those who do tend to be more satisfied with the experience overall.
• Understand the different options offered—such as insurance and fuel—before reserving or picking up a vehicle.
• Reserve a navigation system in advance if necessary and leverage smartphones if you are traveling with someone who can help you navigate.
• Bring a Bluetooth or other wireless hands-free device so you can use your phone safely while driving.
• If a problem with the rental car experience occurs, be sure to report it to the company. Many customers never report their problems, so the company doesn't have the opportunity to resolve them.

The 2011 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study is based on more than 12,500 evaluations from business and leisure travelers who rented a vehicle at an airport location within the previous 30 days to being surveyed. The study was fielded between January 2011 and September 2011.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing forecasting, performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

McGraw-Hill is a leading global financial information and education company that helps professionals and students succeed in the Knowledge Economy. Leading brands include Standard & Poor's, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and McGraw-Hill Education. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2010, the Corporation has approximately 21,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. On September 12, 2011, the Corporation announced its intention to separate into two public companies – McGraw-Hill Markets (working name), primarily focused on global capital and commodities markets and McGraw-Hill Education focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Relations Contacts:

John Tews; J.D. Power and Associates; Troy, Mich.; (248) 312-4119; [email protected]

Jeff Perlman; Brandware Public Relations; Woodland Hills, Calif.; (818) 598-1115; [email protected]

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED